SF Symphony Chorus Votes to Strike! Season Opener May Fall Silent
“NO CONTRACT NO CHORUS!”
Members of The San Francisco Symphony Chorus voted to go on strike on Monday, September 16th, just days before The Symphony’s planned opening night concert on Thursday, September 19th.
Contract negotiations are ongoing with the Symphony and its union The American Guild of Musical Artists (AMAG) mere hours before the opening night concert of the San Francisco Symphony’s 113th season. If a new contract for the Chorus is not signed, they are threatening to picket the symphony.
If the chorus goes silent, it’s a crippling blow to the opening program, given that they plan to play Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, a vocal and chorus-heavy opera. A requiem without voices would be a tragedy indeed. Stakes are high.
We have reached out to the AGMA for comment on today’s last minute negotiations, as it stands, if a new contract is not signed in the next few hours, there will be picket lines not chorus lines, at the Symphony tonight.
The American Guild of Musical Artists Union represents the 32 paid professional singers who voted unanimously to authorize a strike with 98.1% of eligible members participating. 81.1% of the unpaid singers of the 152-person Chorus voted to honor the picket.
The Union posted on IG this week:
“The AGMA Choristers of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are preparing for the picket line. They are proud to be part of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and have always given their best to every performance. But with these drastic proposed budget cuts, the chorus is being undervalued, and their livelihoods are at risk. The AGMA Choristers want nothing more than to keep working, and to perform the 3-day run of Verdi’s Requiem starting tomorrow as planned, but they can’t continue without a fair contract. The Arts can’t thrive if Artists are struggling. Enough is enough. The clock is officially ticking.”
“This pivotal decision follows a challenging period of negotiations that have, unfortunately, failed to produce a fair contract failed to produce a fair contract. AGMA members have continued working under an agreement that expired on July 31.”” AGMA said in an email this week.
AGMA President Ned Hanlon, who also works as a full-time Chorister at the Metropolitan Opera, stated, “The decision to authorize a strike is never taken lightly, but the chorus members of the San Francisco Symphony have demonstrated incredible unity and resolve in the face of a management unwilling to negotiate fairly.”
The San Francisco symphony has faced a massive budget deficit this year, resulting in incredible upheaval and disharmony among it’s musicians and patrons alike. It’s new famed conductor and composer ESA-PEKKA SALONEN who only joined our Symphony 4 years ago said this May, that he plans to leave when his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season.
“The proposed drastic budget cuts would result in the loss of union jobs—jobs that are vital to maintaining the artistic excellence of the Chorus and the symphony as a whole. The AGMA Board of Governors and Artists around the country stand fully behind the Chorus as they fight not only for their livelihoods, but for the future of the performing arts in the Bay Area,” Hanlon continued.
Currently, San Francisco Symphony Management is:
- Proposing to cut AGMA Choristers’ annual compensation by 65%;
- Proposing to reduce choral programs from 8-11 per season to 5 programs guaranteed per year;
- Refusing to demonstrate that these cuts will be shared equitably across the Company, and failing to demonstrate that targeting SFS’s nationally and internationally acclaimed Artists will make a difference with their alleged financial situation.
“The San Francisco Symphony already receives, by far, the largest return on investment from any other pillar of the organization from the Chorus, as only a quarter of the singers are paid, and those paid singers receive the lowest rates of any working artist in the company,” said Elliott Encarnación, an AGMA Governor on the Executive Council and SFSC negotiating committee member. “To target the Chorus with these dubious cuts suggests an unconscionable lack of respect, and frankly understanding of the treasure this ensemble is or how to steward it responsibly.”
AGMA calls on its members across the country to stand in solidarity with these Choristers, including both union members and non-paid singers who are selflessly standing shoulder-to-shoulder with AGMA. Show your support by sharing this message and following their official Instagram @sfsymphonychorus. Supporters can also participate in an active letter-writing campaign. Stay connected through AGMA’s official channels for updates on the potential strike and to learn how AGMA members and allies can help protect the San Francisco Symphony Chorus.
You can sign the petition to Retain Esa-Pekka Salonen, Invest in the Symphony! Here.
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